Fishing lure



APril 16, 1953 o. E. RHODES 3,085,361

FISHING LURE Original Filed Dec. 16, 1960 1 VENTOR Orr/z Z [9 5'. odeswwwzw ATTORNEYS 3,ti85,361 FiSI-HNG LURE Qrville E. Rhodes, Stockton,Califi, assignor to Lectroiure (Iompany inc, Stockton, Caiifi, acorporation of California Continuation of application fies. No. 76,374,Dec. 16, 1964?. This application May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 198,695

Claims. (Cl. iii-$6.2)

This invention relates in general to an improved artificial lure forfishing; the present application being a continuation of applicationSerial No. 76,374, filed December l, 1960. a

In particular the invention is directed to, and it is a major object toprovide, an artificial lure in the form of a minnow and which includes apower actuated tail capable of life-like lateral wiggling or scullingmotion so as to cause the lure to swim about in the water in a mannerclosely simulating a live bait fish, whereby to attract and cause gamefish to strike.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an artificiallure, as in the preceding paragraph, which includeswithin the confinesof such lurea novel electric motor driven mechanism operative to producethe desired lure propelling motion of the tail.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an artificial lure,of the type described, wherein the electric motor driven mechanismproduces-when in operationa vibration or sound which further enhancesthe attraction of the lure.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a fishing lure which isdesigned for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical,reliable, and durable fishing lure, and one which will be exceedinglyeflective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the lure as in use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the lure.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG.2, but with the electric motor shown in full.

FIG. 4 is across section on line 44 of FIG. 2.

PEG. 5 is a cross section on line 55 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, the novel artificial lure is indicatedgenerally at 1, and is used in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. Asshown in such figure a flexible leader 2 of some length, but here shownfioreshortened, extends from the lure upwardly for connection with aneye 3 on the lower end of a float 4. At the top such float 4 includesanother eye 5 to which the line 6, from a fishing rod 7, is connected.

The float 4 is a water-tight container in which is disposed a batteryand switch assembly (not shown). A very small water-proof, two-wireelectric cord 8, connected to the battery and switching assembly in thefloat 4, leads out of the same, and thence extends downwardly to thelure 1; such cord being wound about the leader 2.

At their lower ends the leader 2 and the cord 3 both enter the lure 1 atthe top and intermediate the ends thereof; such leader and cord beingconnected within the lure in the manner hereinafter described.

The lure 1 is constructed in the manner shown in detail in FIGS. 2-5inclusive, and comprises the following:

3335,35! Patented Apr. 16, 1963 The numeral 9' indicates a body formedor shaped to simulate a minnow, which body includes a tail 10 :ca pableof lateral wiggling or sculling motion. Such motion is possible byreason of the fact that the body 9 is in its entirety-formed of aflexible and resileint material, such as rubber. While here shown as onepiece, the body 9-in practicemay be constructed of two initiallyseparate longitudinal halves vulcanized together after introduction intothe body of the working parts.

The working parts ofrthe lure constitute a very small, relatively highspeed electric motor 11 embedded in the forward portion of the body 9and which motor includes a longitudinal, rearwardly projecting driveshaft 12.

The leader 2 extends into the body '9 from the top and is secured to aneye 13 on the upper side of the motor 11; the electric cord 8 followingthe leader into the body and thence passing into the electric motor 11,as at 14. With this arrangement the lure is effectively suspended by theleader 2, and with the electric cord 8 connected to the motor Withoutundue tension.

The drive shaft 12 extends rearwardly from the electric motor v11through a longitudinal bore 15, and such shaft terminates at its rearend in a cavity 16 in body 9.

A driven, extension shaft 17 is alined with, and extends rea-rwardlyfrom, the drive shaft '12; the adjacent ends of said shafts beingconnected together within cavity 16 by a flexible sleeve coupling 18.From the cavity 16 the driven shaft 17 passes in guided or journaledrelation through a bearing tube 19 secured in the body 9 between cavity16 and another and reawardly disposed cavity 20; such cavity 20extending from the rear portion of the body 9 into the forward portionof the tail It At it rear end, and within the cavity 21 the driven shaft17 is formed with a relatively short, rearwardly diagonal finger 21.

A bushing 22 is fixed in the body 9 at the rear of the cavity 20, andwhich is in the forward portion of the tail 10; such bushing having aforwardly opening, vertically elongated slot 23 therein. The diagonalfinger 21, on the rear end of the driven shaft 17, projects into theslot 23 of bushing 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the diameter of the diagonal finger 21approximates the transverse width of the vertically elongated slot 23.However, the relative dimensions are such that the finger 21 has a closebut free running engagement between the sides of said slot 23.Additionally, the slot 23 is of a vertical length or height so that itextends above and below the high and low points of the path of saidfinger as the latter rotates.

A pair of rods 24 are fixed to the back or rear of the bushing 22 andthence extend in diverging relation, in a longitudinal vertical plane,in the tail 10. Such rods 24- are manually bendable by manipulatingcorresponding portions of the tail 10; the bending of such rods beingfor the purpose of directional control of the lure when it is inoperation.

Rearwardly facing hooks '25 are exposed on opposite sides of the body 9adjacent but short of its forward end, and such hooks includesubstantially parallel shanks 26 embedded in the body 9. At their rearends the shanks 26 include eyes 27, and a cross road 28-likewiseembedded in the body 9spans between and projects through such eyes 27whereby to effectively anchor the shanks 26 against longitudinaldisplacement.

In operation of the above described lure, and with the same rigged inthe manner shown in FIG. 1, the electric motor 11-1 is energized throughthe medium of the battery and switch assembly (not shown) in the float 4and the electric cord which leads from such assembly to such motor.

Upon energization of the electric motor 11 the drive shaft 12 and drivenshaft 17 are rotated at relatively high speed, which results in thediagonal finger 21 rotating in a circular path. With such rotation ofthe diagonal finger 21 the bushing 22 is transversely oscillated, but byreason of the elongation of the slot 23 no vertical oscillation of suchbushing occurs.

With such transverse oscillation of the bushing 22, and by reason of thediagonal of finger 21 with its close but free running engagement in theslot 23, said bushing 22 and tail are recurringly and rapidly swung to arearwardly diagonaled position first to one side and then the otherrelative to the central vertical longitudinal plane of the lure. See thedotted line positions of bushing 22 and tail 1%, as shown inFIG. 3. Thisproduces an action of the tail 10 closely simulating that of the tail ofa live fish and effectively propels the lure forwardly through thewater.

With the above described diagonal finger and bushing arrangement, itwill be seen that the effective pivot of the tail, about which it mayswing, is immediately ahead of the rigid tail-embedded bushing 22; theflexible body along the sides of the cavity 20, and which terminates atthe forward end of the bushing, being quite thin, as shown in FIG. 3, sothat the tail can swing without restraint, without distortion of thebody as a whole, and without necessitating the use of any metal or otherpositive pivot means for the tail swinging mechanism. At the same time,the swinging movement of the tail from side to side is smooth, withoutany lost motion and with a minimum of wear on the cooperating metalparts.

The length and flexibility of the leader 2' is such that the lure 1 hasa relatively wide range of travel and can thus swim about in the watermuch in the manner of a live bait fish. This is highly attractive to thegame fish and causes the latter to strike.

In addition to the swimming motion of the lure 1, its attraction isfurther enhanced by the fact that the motor driven actuating mechanismwithin the body 9 causes a certain vibration or sound; it being knownthat vibration or sound in the water causes game fish to approach thelure, and with a greater likelihood of a strike.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a fishing lure as will fully fulfill the objects ofthe invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of such fishing lure, still in practice such deviationstherefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spiritof the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. An artificial lure comprising a minnow-shaped body having a tailcapable of lateral wiggling motion, an electric motor in the body, meansto supply electric current to the motor, the electric motor beingdisposed in the forward portion of the body and having a rearwardlyprojecting longitudinal drive shaft, a driven shaft in the bodyrearwardly of and alined with the drive shaft, there being a body cavityin which adjacent ends of said shafts are disposed, a coupling betweensaid adjacent ends of the shafts, a longitudinal bearing in the bodyrearwardly of said body cavity, the driven shaft extending intermediateits ends through such bearing, there being a separate body cavity inwhich the rear end of the driven shaft is disposed, such separate bodycavity extending into the tail, a bushing secured in the part of theseparate cavity in the tail, the bushing having a forwardly openingvertically elongated slot therein, and a rearwardiy diagonal finger onthe rear end of the driven shaft and projecting into said slot wherebyrotation of the driven shaft is translated into transverse oscillationof the bushing and resultant lateral wiggling of the tail.

2. In combination, a float adapted for connection to a fishing line, anartificial lure having a portion capable of wiggling motion, poweractuated means in the lure including an electric motor operative toimpart such wiggling motion to said portion, a flexible leader connecting the float and lure, a source of electric current mounted in thefloat, and a current carrying cord extending down the leader andconnected at its ends to said source and to the motor; the cord beingslack relative to the leader.

3. An artificial lure comprising a minnow-shaped body having an integraltail, means formed with the body and tail providing a vertical axis forthe lateral swinging of the tail about its forward end relative to thebody, a power-driven longitudinal shaft in the body ahead of the tailand terminating at its rear end adjacent the forward end of the tail,and a diagonal finger rigid with and projecting directly back from therear end of the shaft, the tail at its forward end being provided with avertically elongated slot into which the diagonal finger projects withrelatively close but free running engagement between the sides of theslot.

4. A lure, as in claim 3, in which said means comprises an enlargedcavity in the body extending forwardly from the forward end of the tailslot, and providing relatively thin side Walls on the body at the rearend of the cavity; the body material surrounding the cavity beingflexible.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,446,816 Taylor et al. Feb. 27, 1923 2,472,505 Yocam et al. June 7,1949 2,511,154 Garland June 13, 1950 2,788,603 Lindemann Apr. 16, 19572,882,638 Moore Apr. 21, 1959 2,909,868 Lewis Oct. 27, 1959

3. AN ARTIFICIAL LURE COMPRISING A MINNOW-SHAPED BODY HAVING AN INTEGRALTAIL, MEANS FORMED WITH THE BODY AND TAIL PROVIDING A VERTICAL AXIS FORTHE LATERAL SWINGING OF THE TAIL ABOUT ITS FORWARD END RELATIVE TO THEBODY, A POWER-DRIVEN LONGITUDINAL SHAFT IN THE BODY AHEAD OF THE TAILAND TERMINATING AT ITS REAR END ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF THE TAIL,AND A DIAGONAL FINGER RIGID WITH AND PROJECTING DIRECTLY BACK FROM THEREAR END OF THE SHAFT, THE TAIL AT ITS FORWARD END BEING PROVIDED WITH AVERTICALLY ELONGATED SLOT INTO WHICH THE DIAGONAL FINGER PROJECTS WITHRELATIVELY CLOSE BUT FREE RUNNING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THESLOT.